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Zika has been making some big headlines in the last year. With 1.6 million new cases since April 2015, this mosquito-borne virus has grown well beyond its initial outbreak in Brazil, right up to our doorstep. Can we fight the spread of Zika virus with genetically engineered mosquitoes? And even if we can, should we?

Join us for our bimonthly discussion group at Ada’s Technical Books (425 15th Ave E on the Hill) at 7:30 PM this Wednesday, Feb 17th as we talk about Mosquitoes in the spotlight: Ethics, science, and the Zika Virus.

Facilitated by HiveBio member Max Showalter, the discussion group is the perfect place to learn more about HiveBio Community Lab, discuss a project that you have in mind, talk about an interesting development in bioscience, and meet like-minded citizen scientists. See you there!

The discussion previously schedule for Wednesday, Feb 3rd at Ada’s Technical books has been cancelled. Discussions will resume February 17th with a discussion of engineering genetic circuits. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming events, and we hope to see you then!

Mineral extraction can be expensive and technologically difficult in extreme or even moderate environments. Are better machines the answer, ore can we iron out these problems using bacteria? Biomining, using microbes to sequester and accumulate minerals out of natural materials as a means of acquiring them, is a technique already in use in some progressive mines, and one of great interest to the community. Unsurprisingly, synthetic biology has the potential play an exciting role in improving efficiency and capability of these little biominers.

Join us to discuss bacteria as the future of biomining at Ada’s technical books (425 15th Ave E) this Wednesday, Jan 20th at 7:30 PM

We have two spots left for one of our favorite classes – Memories, molecules and medicines: An exploration of fragrances and essential oils – which is happening January 16th from 2-5PM.

A freshly mown lawn, a crackling bonfire’s smoke, or piping hot chicken soup on a cold day. All these and other smells conjure warm memories, emotions, primal fears and human relationships, far beyond the basic sense of smell. With a nose that can distinguish one trillion different scents, we carry one of the world’s best molecular detectors. But how much do we really know about smell and its effect on our lives? How does fragrance drive our moods? How do we perceive it and describe it to others? Come explore the sense of smell from the biology that makes it possible to the chemistry behind fragrances and essential oils. Led by Reitha Weeks, PhD, we’ll investigate product labels and aromatherapy claims, test your ability to identify smells, and extract essential oils for you to take home. So let’s dive into the world of smells you’ll be surprised how much there is to learn.

Maximum class size: 9
$25 per participant.
Pre-registration is required for this workshop. This class is not suitable for chemical or fragrance sensitive individuals. The subject matter for this class is above an elementary level, this class is not suitable for children under 7th grade.

What do Kant and ribosomes have in common? They’re both all about form, and while most people ascribe formalism solely to artistic endeavors, Kant unknowingly touched on an important biological theme with his impression that form gives gestalt. From proteins to DNA, chemicals to lipids, the shape and structure of biomaterials drive their utility. In a class led by Dr. Sandra Porter, we’ll envision exactly how and why these structures matter – how DNA is put together by its properties, how mutant proteins cause albino cats, how protein folding dictates functionality – by use of her 3D visualization program Molecule World. After this class, you’ll be able to share your new-found love of biological formalism with a printed structural image of your favorite molecule on a T-shirt! So come structure your mind to expand your horizons into the world of molecular form. This class will take place at HiveBio on February 20thfrom 2-5PM.

(HiveBio will provide T-shirts, but you may also bring your own black cotton T-shirt if you’d like. Use of personal iPads is strongly encouraged for this course, if available. If you’re bringing an iPad, download the app Molecule World from the iTunes store before the workshop for $5.99).

Ever get that creeping feeling that you’re never alone, but instead surrounded by trillions of your closest microbial friends? If so, your intuition is right! Microbes are all around us, and even on and in us. But you don’t have to be a microbiologist to appreciate their diversity and ubiquity – many cultures can be identified using macro-scale features. This week, HiveBio will teach you how to identify key players in your microbial daily life – from what is in your beer on Friday afternoon, to what’s making you stink after a soccer game, to the weird green slime on the pier in Elliot Bay. So join us to get acquainted with the smallest members of our community: bacteria! Join us for our discussion at Ada’s Technical Books (425 15th Ave on the Hill) at 7:30, Wed 6. Jan.

Calling all aspiring neurophysiologists – HiveBio is offering a unique, brand new workshop with opportunities to earn credit from the American Council on Education (ACE).This all-day workshop is targeted to intraoperative monitoring professionals as full participants for 6.25 hours of approved ACE credits in neurophysiologic intraoperative monitoring. Through lectures, brain dissections, and hands-on techniques in brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs), attendees will learn the essence of advanced surgical procedures and neurophysiology. Full participants working towards accreditation will receive a tuning fork for clinical examination, sheep brain for dissection, and tubing for BAEP testing. Additional attendees may observe the workshop. All participants will be provided with a small breakfast and lunch, included in the workshop fee.

Swimming is a widespread strategy of many bacteria of vastly different lineages, and flagellar motility (swimming by means of a whip-like appendage) produces impressive results. Motile bacteria have distinct advantages over others in their environment – including antibiotic resistance, strategies against predation and viral lysis, and ability to respond to gradients. This comes at a metabolic cost, however, and is the reason behind a highly complex and step-dependent genetic assembly pathway. More intriguing – many bacteria have nearly identical and highly complex motors. How did such a complex machine come to be located in an otherwise simple organism? What secrets of evolution, ecology, and the origins of life can bacterial motility unlock?

Join us in a discussion of bacterial motility, with a focus on marine systems, led by UW graduate student Max Showalter as we talk about the mystery of the motor. Meet us at Ada’s Technical Books (425 15th Ave. E), this Wednesday, Dec 2nd at 7:30 PM.

** NOTE: This class is in the process of being rescheduled for a later date, and will not take place on Dec. 13th, 2015 as originally posted.

Calling all aspiring neurophysiologists – HiveBio is offering a unique, brand new workshop with opportunities to earn credit from the American Council on Education (ACE). This all-day workshop is targeted to intraoperative monitoring professionals as full participants for 6.25 hours of approved ACE credits in neurophysiologic intraoperative monitoring. Through lectures, brain dissections, and hands-on techniques in brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs), attendees will learn the essence of advanced surgical procedures and neurophysiology. Full participants working towards accreditation will receive a tuning fork for clinical examination, sheep brain for dissection, and tubing for BAEP testing. Additional attendees may observe the workshop. All participants will be provided with a small breakfast and lunch, included in the workshop fee.